Railway mail device.



W. M. CORTHELL.

RAILWAY MAIL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26 1913.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

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NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-L!TH!1.. WASHING TON. nv

W. M. CORTHELL.

RAILWAY MAIL DEVICE. 4 APPLICATION FILED DEO.2G,1913.

Patented Jan.5,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTOLITHO W. M. GORTHELL RAILWAY MAIL DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 26, 1913.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHBBTS'SHEBT 3 HE NORRIS PETRS CO.. FHDTULITHO,, WASHINGTON, D. C

W. M. CORTHELL. RAILWAY MAIL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DBC.26,1913v Patented Jam 5,1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CcLv PHOHIMJTHOU WASHINGTON. D C.

WILLIAM M. CORTHELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY MAIL DEVICE.

Application filed December 26, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. CoRTHnLL, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Mail Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway mail collecting and delivering devices adapted to automatically deliver mail from a moving car, and also to take on mail supported beside the track, and of the type comprising a gate-like swinging device, an operating arm, and a cam rail adapted to cooperate with said arm.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and highly eficient apparatus of the character above mentioned.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention and form part of the specification :Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement and operation of the improved devices, when in use; Fig. 2 is a partial plan and section showing the relative positions of the gate-like body and the end section of the cam rail set for operation; Fig. 3 is a broken section partly in plan; the dotted portion illustrating the position of the gate after being tripped in the forward movement of the car; Fig. l is a side elevation of a car and the improved devices; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the crane; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6, 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a bag support on a crane arm; Fig. 8 is a partial elevation showing a locking and releasing handle; Fig. 9 is an elevation partly in section of a bag support on a car.

In the drawing numeral 1 denotes a mail car having one or more doorways, preferably one on each side of the car at its middle. At the rear side of the doorway is hinged the gate-like body 2, which normally, that is, when not set for operation, stands fiat against the side of the car with its outer swinging end pointing forward, being there held by a spring device 200 and rod 201. Said body comprises an operating arm, 3, extending forward from the vertical pivot supporting member 4:, and, preferably,

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915. Serial No. 808,827.

integral or rigid therewith. nates in a vertical end 5, adapted in use to cooperate with the cam rail 6, which is suitably supported along-side the car track at a safe distance therefrom.

At the top of body... 2, the hinge or plvot pin 7, is connected directly to the member 4, (which is a part of the body 2), and extends into the hinge socket 8, secured to the car. hinge or pivot pin 77, is directly connected to body 2, and to part 2 is connected an arm 9, having a pin opening 10. The spring-operated rod 201 is connected to arm 9, adjacent opening 10, by pin 13.

Pivoted to member 1, near its middle is a handle 11, the lower end of which is pivoted to an angle lever 12, to which is adjustably secured a locking pin 13, adapted to be entered in, and withdrawn from, said opening 10. As shown in Fig. 8, pin 13, to which rod'201, is connected, is disengaged from opening 10, and body 2, being released from rod 201, is free to be swung by hand to permit entrance to or exit from the doorway. Handle 11, is conveniently operated from within or from without the car. the body is set for operation, pin 1.3, should be in engagement, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4:. The invention is not limited to this Arm 3, termi- At the bottom of body 2, the

When

particular construction for connection and disconnecting the body 2, and the operating arm from the spring, but the compound lever, pin and socket shown is preferred.-

' Pivoted to the outside of the car on the side of the doorway opposite the hinges, is i p a bag support which comprises a lever 130,

I having a notch 14,, and an end 15, extending beyond said notch. This bag support is normally held close to the car in safe position by a spring-16. When a bag is to be ,9

hung for delivery from the car, the body 2 is manually swung out a little from the car, and the notch 14-, is engaged with the upper rod of said body 2, as shown in Fig. 9,

after which a ring 17, on the bag top is-hung on the end 15. When body 2, is moved out farther, by operation of the cam rail, the ring 17 is pushed from lever 15, the bag is thrown from the car, and spring 16 acts to return the support to the normal safetypo- I the track rails, in a vertical plane, at a distance from the track such that the operating arm of body 2 will not reach the plane of the cam rail when said body is set for operation, as shown in Fig. 2. The member 19, pivoted to said member 18, at 120, which must be swung toward the track, to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3, by an attendant when mail is to be thrown from or taken onto a passing car. When a body 2, on a car is set out a short distance, and extension 19 is inclined inward, the operating arm and cam rail will be in cooperating relation, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Means are provided for automatically controlling the position of the extension 19, preferably as follows: 20 denotes a post near 7 the plane of the cam rail, to the top of which is pivoted a hanger rod 21 which supports the free end of extension 19. The parts are so formed and arranged that, by gravity, the cam rail extension 19, normally remains in, or if displaced is returned to the plane of the main cam rail, that is, to place of safety. At the base of the post is a curved slotted plate 22, and a cooperating stud 23, adapted to travel in the slot. This limits and steadies movement of the swinging parts. 24 denotes a pin, preferably connected to the post loosely by a chain. To set the cam rail extension, the attendant manually moves the free end toward the track and inserts the pin 24 between the post and part 19, see Figs. 2 and 3. As the end 5 of the operating arm is caused to travel along the outer side of part 19 it strikes and removes said pin 24, whereupon part 19 swings in Y the direction away from the track to the normal safe position where it comes to rest.

It will be seen that both the body 2 on the car, and the part 19 at the station, must be set or the operating arm and the cam rail will not cooperate; and, further, when said parts are set, and the arm and cam rail do cooperate, body 2 and its operating arm, and also part 19, immediately and automatically move to a safe position and these efiects are produced by simple and reliable means.

Besides the cam rail, at a suitable point, is a crane post 25, at the top of which is a pivoted arm 26, the part of which farthest from the track is heavier than the part nearer the track whereby said arm 26 normally stands upright, in position of safety. At the unweighted end is a straight projecting pin 27, pivoted to the arm at 28, and resting on a track-flange 29. This is a support for a bag. Lower on the post is a spring arm 30, the tension of which is downward. When putting a bag in place the outer endof arm 30 is raised and engaged with the lower ring of the bag. This holds the bag under sufficient tension to keep it steady in place, but permits it to be pulled from the crane by the body 2. Arm 30 cent prises two spring coils 31 formed integral with, or connected to, the bent wire arm.

I have shown a movable cam rail extension 19, at one end only of the cam rail. For roads on which mail exchanges are made in both directions on the same track a like extension would be placed also at the opposite end of the cam rail. The body 2, can be raised and transferred to hinges on the other side of the doorway for operation in the opposite direction.

The outer rail 18 prevents any accidental or additional outward movement of the operating arm terminal 5. At the far end the outer rail 18 extends beyond the inner rail for increased safety at the moment that part 5 leaves the inner rail 18, in case of a one direction appliance, which is not necessary when a both direction device is used as 18 is continuous.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is 1. A mail delivering and collecting apparatus for railways comprising a gate-like body pivoted to a car at the rear side of a doorway, means normally holding said body closed, means adapted when set to hold said body partially open, an operating arm, and a cam rail adapted to further open said pivoted body.

2. A mail. device for railways comprising a body pivoted to a car at the rear side of a doorway, means normally holding said body closed, a bag-support adapted when set to receive a bag ring on the outside of said body and also to temporarily hold said body partially open.

3. The combination with a car, of a pivoted mail delivering and collecting body, a bag support pivoted to the car, and means carried by said support adapted, when set, to hold said body partially open, said support releasing the bag when said body is opened farther, and a cam rail for thus further opening said body.

4. In a mail device for railways, the combination of a pivoted delivering body, a pivoted bag support adapted to extend outward beyond said body, means on the bag support to engage when set, said body to hold it partially open, and a returning spring for said support.

5. In combination, a pivoted cam rail extension a post, and a support for the cam rail extension pivoted to said post, whereby when swung inward said extension is raised and then returns by gravity.

6. In combination, a swinging rail section, a post, a pivoted support for the rail section on the post, and means for positively limiting the extent of the swing of said support and rail section.

7 In combination, a swinging rail section, a swinging support therefor, and a removable device adapted to temporarily hold said rail section in set raised position whereby when released said section will automatically swing to its lower retracted position.

8. In combination, a car, a pivoted mail handing body, an operating arm therefor, a swinging rail section, a swinging support, a post and a pin between said section when set and said post, said pin being in the path of the operating arm so as to be removed thereby.

9. A cam-rail comprising a pivoted end section, a pivoted arm supporting said section and normally holding it out of operating position by gravity, said pivoted section and arm being movable to bring the rail section into operating position, a removable stop to release said section whereby it may swing back to normal inoperative safety position.

10. A track rail, a fixed cam rail comprising a pivoted end section movable toward and from said track rail and also from a lower to a higher plane or vice versa as it moves toward or from the track rail.

11. In combination, a car, a gate-like mail handling body, a spring tending to draw said body toward the car, and manually operated means operative both inside and outside of the car for disconnecting the spring at will, so that the body can be swung freely open.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. COR'IHELL.

Witnesses:

I. C. SLoRA, B. F. KING.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenm Washington, D. 0. 

